WNBA Golden State has named Ohemaa Nyanin as the teams first general manager, putting her in charge of all basketball operations. 

Nyanin joins the team from the New York Liberty, where she spent more than five years, most recently as the team’s assistant general manager.

“Throughout the interview process, it was clear that bringing a WNBA team to the Bay Area was meticulously thought out and those involved are motivated changemakers who will be proactive in growing the league,” Nyanin said in a news release Monday. “I look forward to joining this franchise and building a competitive basketball team that the fans deserve.” 

While she was with the Liberty, the team made three WNBA playoff runs, including a trip to the 2023 WNBA Finals.

Since 2016, Nyanin has served as FIBA Americas World Cup Qualifier Technical Delegate and Manager and spent five years as USA Basketball’s assistant director of the women’s national team.

“As we moved through the GM hiring process, it became more apparent each day how impressive and well-versed Ohemaa is in all facets of the business, and as a person,” said Warriors CEO Joe Lacob. “She brings an incredible knowledge of the WNBA and international women’s basketball landscape from her time with the Liberty and USA Basketball.”

WNBA Golden State will be headquartered in Oakland and play home games at Chase Center in San Francisco.

Kiley Russell writes primarily for Local News Matters on issues related to equity and the environment. A Bay Area native, he has lived most of his life in Oakland. He studied journalism at San Francisco State University, worked for the Associated Press and the former Contra Costa Times, among other outlets. He has covered everything from state legislatures, local governments, federal and state courts, crime, growth and development, political campaigns of various stripes, wildfires and the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.